Sonja Polonio
Episode · #645
ZGRADONAČELNIK Sonja Polonijo
Guest Sonja PolonioHosted by Tin BašićMay 3, 2026
Sonja Polonio
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
The amount of municipal waste in Croatia continues to climb, hitting a record 1.84 million tons in 2022 and projected to reach 2.5 million by 2035. Sonja Polonijo, a waste management expert and a permanent associate of the Association of Cities, argues that this isn't just a volume problem; it's a systemic failure. She describes Croatia's approach to waste as 'unsystematic,' burdened by blindly adopted EU directives that ignore local realities and economic incentives. This conversation exposes the hidden costs and flawed assumptions behind current waste policies, revealing why separating your trash doesn't always lead to cheaper bills or a cleaner environment. Readers will reconsider what truly makes a sustainable waste system.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Sonja Polonijo describes the Croatian waste system in a single word: 'unsystematic.' The system fails because it doesn't account for real-world user habits, economic incentives, or the specific, on-the-ground problems faced by cities and waste collectors.
02
Polonijo notes that Croatia's 'fantastic regulations' are 'harmonized with European legislation,' but 'unfortunate practice'—real people and firms—doesn't follow. Blindly transcribing EU directives without understanding local context or human behavior creates a disconnect between policy and practical implementation, rendering well-intentioned rules ineffective.
03
The old mantra 'People, separate your waste and it will be cheaper' is, as Polonijo puts it, a 'platitude.' Promises of cost savings from waste separation are often misleading; the true costs of processing, transport, and facility maintenance mean the service will almost certainly become more expensive, regardless of individual effort.
04
It is cheaper to send mixed municipal waste to a landfill or a waste management center (€120/ton) than to legally dispose of separated textiles (€150/ton). When economic incentives are misaligned, with legal separation costing more than mixing and disposing, the system actively discourages desired behavior.
05
The expectation that waste should be measured with 'pharmacy scales' and charged precisely is unrealistic due to the high costs of sophisticated equipment, calibration, and maintenance. The pursuit of perfectly precise, user-pays models can paradoxically increase overall costs for residents, making simpler flat-rate systems sometimes more practical.
06
Croatia's 'croissant' shape means waste often travels far to centralized processing centers like Kaštijuni, Marišćina, and Bikarac. Centralized solutions, while seemingly efficient on paper, incur significant environmental and financial costs due to long-distance transport, especially in geographically dispersed regions.
07
Not all waste is a 'valuable raw material'; valuable recyclables like metals are often diverted before reaching municipal collection, while much of what is collected (e.g., certain plastics, paper beyond a certain capacity) lacks viable processing infrastructure or market value. Focusing solely on separation without addressing the economic realities of processing and market demand for specific waste types is insufficient.
08
The amount of municipal waste in Croatia continues to climb, hitting a record 1.84 million tons in 2022, with projections reaching 2.5 million by 2035. The problem isn't just what we collect now, but the accelerating growth that existing centralized infrastructure struggles to manage.
09
The net cost of waste services is primarily borne by the 'end consumer.' Any improvements or increased complexity in waste management, from better sorting to more advanced processing, will inevitably lead to higher costs for residents, a reality often overlooked in public discourse.